ROBERT A. JONES

Robert A. Jones was born on January 4, 1935 in Auburn, Nebraska and passed away on September 28, 2017 in Omaha, Nebraska at the age of 82. Robert was the older child of Clarence Robert Jones and Helen Mae Clineberg Jones and spent his childhood in Peru, Nebraska. As a child, Robert and his brother, James William, often fished and hunted. During the depression Robert had few toys, but he was proud of his real matchbox toys made by his grandfather. Robert attended Peru Preparatory School in Peru and graduated in 1956 from the Peru State Teachers College with a degree in Music Education. Although Robert played the drums in high school and was a member of the Dixie Thunderbirds Jazz Band and the Acorns Jazz Band, his lifelong music passion was the cello, which he began playing in kindergarten at the age of six. He was a member of the Lincoln, Nebraska Symphony, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln Orchestra, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Town and Gown Symphony Orchestra, the Sioux City, Iowa Symphony Orchestra, and the Omaha Symphony, which he was invited to join at age at age 18. Most recently he was a member of the Intergeneration Orchestra in Omaha. Robert was additionally a charter member of both the Myron Cohen String Quartet and the Metropolitan String Quartet. Robert studied cello with Victor Jindra and Eleanor Johnson, and he performed with the following: Roger Wagner, Joseph Levine, Richard Duncan, Leo Kopp, John Canarina, Ling Tung, Henry Mancini, Chuck Pennington, Kermit Peters, and Mel Dunn. He performed for numerous visiting Broadway shows at the Orpheum Theater, Ak-Sar-Ben coronations, Opera Omaha, and the TV mini-series Amerika. Robert additionally performed for President William Clinton, First Lady Barbara Bush, and Secretary Hillary Clinton. Following college graduation, Robert was a faculty member at Brock High School in Brock, Nebraska, where he taught band and English. He was proud that his band earned numerous “Superior” rating awards. In addition to teaching at Brock High School, Robert was a faculty member at Bryan High School in Omaha, Nebraska and served as a string specialist for Omaha Public Schools. Robert had been accepted for admission to the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, but he instead enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a member of the 7th Army Symphony from 1957 to 1960, which was stationed in Germany and performed across Europe. While serving in the U.S. Army, he attained the rank of Sergeant and made many life-long friends. After serving with the U.S. Army, Robert had a long and successful career in the insurance industry. He worked for Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company from 1960 to 1964. Then from 1964 until retirement in 2000 he worked for Continental General Insurance Company as Chief Underwriter, Claim Manager, and Head of the Compliance Department. He attained the title of Senior Executive Vice President. On May 26, 1973 Robert was united in marriage to Rosellen Connolly in Council Bluffs, IA, and they recently celebrated 44 years of marriage. Robert is survived by four children: Michelle Anderson of San Juan Bautista, California, Allison (Ryan) Albright of Elkhorn, Nebraska, Kate Jones of Omaha, Michael (Joanne) Anderson of Wheaton, Illinois; eight grandchildren: Benjamin, William, Nicholas, Grace, Hanna, Isabel, Holly, Joseph; brother, James (Beverly) Jones; many other family and friends. Mass of Christian Burial 10 am, Friday, October 6, 2017 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Elkhorn. Memorials to Visiting Nurses Association. Reichmuth Funeral Home of Elkhorn is caring for the Jones family at this time.